An 85-year-old woman had her necklace stolen in a "distraction type offence" in London Colney.
The incident occurred at 11.15am on Tuesday, March 3 in White Horse Lane.
The victim was approached by a woman, who asked for directions to the hospital. She then placed a ring in the victims hand and a scarf around her neck before leaving in a vehicle and it was only later that she noticed her necklace had been stolen.
The woman was described as being of Romanian appearance with shoulder length dark hair. The vehicle was dark coloured.
The gold necklace held a sentimental value to the victim - it was bought by her husband and she had not taken it off since he passed away.
Detective Constable Amy Dixon said: "I would appeal to anyone who was in the area and saw a woman matching this description or the vehicle in the area to contact me as you may have information which could assist my investigation.
"I would also like to ask people to be vigilant, particularly older members of our community, who may be a target for offenders of these crimes, and to report any suspicious activity."
Anyone with any information should contact the police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 and quote crime reference number F3/15/308.
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